What happened with Los Tuzos?

I'm not going to write my opinion about Pachuca's defeat to Etoile du Sahel. I'm going to reproduce the exact words of 4 of the players that I interviewed exclusively for Ole Ole.

Let's start with Pachuca's forward Christian Gimenez:

Mano Gil: Do you think that a goal in the very end of the game when Pachuca was playing better can be called simply bad luck?

Gimenez: I believe Pachuca tried to win the game. We faced a opponent that knows how to defend very well and we knew they had a very fast counter-attack and so they scored in the chance they had that's why we're now out of the competition.

Mano Gil: I read that since Pachuca arrived in Japan you guys have been thinking about the game against Boca, do you think that there was a moment that Pachuca simply forgot to think about Etoile du Sahel?  

Gimenez: No, of course not. Because since the beggining we came with the idea of playing a good tournament and tradition and experience always teach you to face each game as if it were the final and I believe we showed that on the field today. Our team was a lot better and we tried to win but right at the end they socred their goal and then it was too late to react.

Mano Gil: And what do you have to say now to all the fans that came all the way from Mexico to support the team?

Gimenez: We can only thank each one of them for their support. We all should go back to our hotel and hug every single fan we meet and tell them how much we appreciate their support and let them know that the team tried our best. Unfortunately we couldn't give them the satisfaction of winning this first game but we are really grateful for their unconditional support and passion for the team.

I also talked to the team captain the experient goalkeeper Miguel Calero:  

Mano Gil: How do you feel spiritually after such a disappointment?

Calero: I'm sad. We lost the game and that's was not what we planned for this tournament. I'm simply very sad.

Mano Gil: Did it cross your mind to lose to a team from Tunisia?

Calero: We alaways step on the pitch to win. We never think we are gonna loose but what happened is that we played well but in a fast play they had a deflected shot and scored their goal.

Mano Gil: Do you think that the large number of games that Pachuca played this year had an influence on the team's physical condition in the end of this game?

Calero: Well, not really. I think we were all focused in winning, in moving to the next round. Unfortunately Etoile (du Sahel) played too defensive some even with 11 players on their own field and it was complicated. I believe that towards the end we lacked some patience to find the right way to the goal.  

And of course I talked to the winning side. First let's see what the capeverdian Gilson Silva Alves had to say:

Mano Gil: Pachuca arrived already talking about how their game against Boca would be, did that motivated the players from your team?

Silva Alves: I think that is normal. We were ready for them. We had God’s support which is always very import so we had a lot of faith. The team was well positioned on the pitch. On the first half we let them play and on the second half we started playing more. We moved the ball in midfield with Moussa (Narry) and things worked.

Mano Gil: Did you guys studied Pachuca’s stragegies?

Silva Alves: Yes, we used everything we could. TV, videos, etc… we got here very well prepared knowing what we had to do to get as far as we can in the competition.

And most important of all I talked to Moussa Nary, the efficient midfielder from Ghana who was the executioner of Pachuca’s dream of gold.

Mano Gil: How important was it for Etoile to arrive here in Japan before all the other teams?

Narry: It was important. We arrived and we practiced very much. We came to do our maximum so we dedicated for that. We came to win this match. That’s why in the end we succeeded.

Mano Gil: And how is the team going to prepare to play against Boca? 

Narry: We are going to do the same thing. We are going to play hard and try to win again with the help of God.

Mano Gil: What do you know about Boca Juniors’ team?

Narry: Nothing. I don’t know anything and I don’t even want to know. I will get to know Boca when I get to pitch. I just think about my team, that we have to play the same way if we want to win. We need to have our minds in the final. 

Happiness is the image of Etoile Du Sahel fans!   

I’m Mano Gil, writing direct from Tokyo , exclusively for Ole Ole.

Sayonara!